


Vanessa

by tigereyes45



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Post-Season/Series 17
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-22 10:01:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22714264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tigereyes45/pseuds/tigereyes45
Summary: The reds and blues took off with the freelancers. Suddenly Kimball is left behind to wonder if she and Carolina were really anything at all. She hadn't even said goodbye, now after months of silence the ex-freelancer is sitting right outside her office, helmet off, and patiently waiting. Kimball wasn't so calm during that time she was away.
Relationships: Agent Carolina/Vanessa Kimball
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	Vanessa

Carolina sits outside of Kimball's office with her elbows on her knees and her hands wrapped together with her chin resting on top of them. An epitome of a woman trying not to focus on how little time she has. Someone busy and so used to being on the run that Kimball is honestly surprised she has sat still for so long. The newly appointed leader stares out at the freelancer. Despite the windows having been replaced with double-sided, bulletproof glass, it looked as if Carolina was staring straight at her. Eyes green like freshly cut grass following her every step.

Carolina was here to see her. Not a single colorful idiotic captain near. They were probably off causing trouble somewhere. With the newly recovered Agent Washington chasing their heels. Yet here she was. Their champion, protector, the reason why their names are known at all. After all, it's not often someone with a powerful father approaches a random group of soldiers to kill the man that had caused them so much grief. For all the conversations they have had, she hasn't mentioned her family once.

"What are you doing Carolina?"

Carolina’s head slowly turns towards the door. Kimball’s heart jumps into her throat. Reason works to stuff it back into its place. There’s no way Carolina could have possibly heard her. Walls of steel separate them. Kimball wonders what would happen if there were no walls. Would she have kept standing there, pondering? Stalling. Doubt that Carolina would wait so patiently then settles the issue. She had distracted herself long enough.

The door hums to life before sliding open. Kimball holds her hands behind her back. She squeezes her wrist to keep from saluting the former freelancer. Before she sat one of the most powerful fighters in the galaxy. A woman who could kill her a hundred ways at any given moment. Kimball smiles. It might be strange to many of her men but she never felt safer than when Carolina was with her.

“Carolina.”

“Kimball.”

Carolina stands up, smiles, and walks right past Kimball into her office. She looks around the office absent-mindedly as Kimball shuts the door. Every visit she finds something new to look at. Despite the fact that there was never anything new in her office. A sign out the window. A dent in the desk Kimball didn’t notice. Once she spotted one of Kimball’s former soldiers and her wife screwing in an office across the street. Amazing how quickly Carolina had looked away then.

“You act like you haven’t been here a hundred times already Carolina.”

“It’s good to pay attention. Small changes matter too.” She crosses her arms and rolls her eyes.

Kimball reaches up to pat her shoulder. “There there.” She smiles again as she sits back down. “What can I do for you today?”

If looks could kill Carolina wouldn’t have any enemies left. If any of them could see the look on her face now, one of guilt and confusion, none of them would be scared of her anymore.

“Why do you assume I came to ask for something?”

Kimball lets her head fall back against the chair. “Why else would you be here?” Carolina looks away. Her green eyes focus on something outside the windows. A ship flies past. The walls shake furiously in protest.

“Life is busy.”

“Yes, it is. I don't think I've ever realized just how busy it was until I got an office up here.” Kimball gestures to the large windows in a lazy way. As if the sight was once grand but now so commonplace there was nothing to see anymore. When she looks out now she doesn't see the things Carolina does. No. Kimball hasn't been that interested in nothing for a very long time. Moving up here only made her hate wasting time that much more. "It's strange having the world throw it in your face. That everything, everyone is moving on and quickly while your thoughts are muddled down by the past and just how much it will play a hand into all of their futures. Life really never stops moving."

“I uh, I wanted to ask you something.” Carolina finally tears her eyes from the window.

"I'm all ears." They stand there quietly for a few minutes. Staring each other dangerously down. Whatever Carolina was there for she needed more courage then what she possessed. Kimball opens the bottom left desk drawer. She pulls out two shot glasses and a bottle of malt liquor. She shakes the bottle gently at Carolina. The ex-freelancer nods in agreement. Kimball's suspicions rise with the liquor as she pours it. Careful with no flair she seals the bottle back up and sets it on her desk. Kimball picks up the shots and rounds the desk once more. She rests gently on top of it as she hands Carolina hers.

Their fingers would have touched if not for that armor of hers. Kimball had finally felt safe enough to leave hers off about a month ago while Wash was busy getting shot in the neck. Amazing timing that almost as if he felt her show some weakness and decided to become the embodiment of a warning. She almost went back to wearing the armor then. When Wash miraculous somehow appeared in one of her hospitals without anyone knowing how. It all smelt of luck and smoke. Carolina still wouldn't tell her how they had managed that. In fact, before that whole mess, the two had become quite close. She finally got Carolina to pen about her past even if it was only slightly. Then, as if nothing had happened between them she clamped up again. As if all those long nights venting together hadn't occurred. As if Kimball had dreamt of Carolina's lips on her own. Maybe she had. Perhaps all those nights were a dream and she was now demystified.

"How is Wash?"

"He's doing good. Healing better this time around."

"He gets injured a lot back in the project?"

Carolina laughs and Kimball pretends it's the liquor that's heating her face up. She finishes her shot and pours another. Having offered the bottle Kimball is almost surprised when Carolina takes it.

"Liquid courage."

"Great substitute for the real thing." Kimball agrees. They take these shots together. Courage burns her throat as it fights it's way down. Kimball sighs as if it actually tasted good. An easy enough lie. It doesn't burn as much as courage does coming up at least.

"Vanessa, do you want to get out of here?"

"Liquor aside I'm currently at work."

"You were supposed to leave two hours ago. I asked your secretary. He told me while trying not to piss himself."

Her head falls to try and hide her smile. In a practiced tone, Kimball sighs and speaks. "You know you don't have to terrify everyone who works in my office."

"I didn't mean too. I asked his name and if you were at work. He gave the rest freely, fear included."

Carefully she looks up slightly letting Carolina glimpse her lips. The former freelancer was also smiling, far more freely. Perhaps the drinks really were all the courage she needed. She could say yes. Let Carolina whisk her away from her hiding place into the busy world they enjoyed watching so much from the windows. Undoubtedly she would try to stand a bar. Try to stand it so much they would end up drinking their fill on free drinks either from flirts trying to get with them or from people who recognize them as two of the most powerful women on the planet. Eventually, though Carolina would get fed up first. Personally, the president could never tell if it was the lights, the people, or the music but Carolina always through the towel in first, and only when it came to clubs and dancing.

After they would head back to Kimball's place. Where there were no reds or blues causing chaos in the background. No need for them to send a suddenly supercharged Lopez after the rest just so they could have a moment. Where there were no injured Agent Washingtons trying so hard just to be better that he would accidentally call all of Carolina's attention away. Kimball furrows her brows and pinches her eyes shut. She wasn't jealous of David. It was just frustrating. Lots of things were since this thing between them started.

"I want to." Admitting it almost felt like admitting defeat. As if this was a game of tug and war and the rope had just been torn free from her grasp. In a dire effort to get it back, she dives ahead after it. "But I don't know if that's the best idea." In her mental image, her fingers scratch against the rope before finally tightening around it. Risking showing her hand Kimball looks at Carolina. The ghost of a smile gives way to surprise, hurt, and finally a mask of understanding.

"I see. Well, I'll leave you to your work then President."

"Carolina." Her voice was enough to stop her mid-turn. It was sickening to see how her voice affected the other woman. It made Kimball feel as if she had a power no one should possess, to be able to affect Carolina so easily.

"I want to, but I don't want just a fling. I don't want us to start doing this again and suddenly you're gone. One day you're gone and when I finally hear from you again all those walls are back up. That disconnect, it comes so easily to you but it doesn't for me."

The other woman looks down finally noticing that she was still holding her glass. "That's fair. Sometimes I forget I have a habit of doing that." She walks over and sets the glass down right next to Vanessa's leg. It was difficult keeping eye contact with her. Their faces were so close now. Vanessa could smell Carolina's lavender shampoo mixing awfully with the liquor from her mouth. To keep her nose from focusing on the smells Vanessa keeps eye contact with Carolina. It was the least overwhelming of the two options. Less overwhelming but far more enticing.

"I can't promise it won't happen again. The best I can do is that I'll try not to. I can promise to actively attempt to get better it. I'll even talk to Grey if I have too."

Vanessa Kimball felt her heart skip a beat. Then before she could regain her composure she was laughing into Carolina's armored shoulder. Her cheek rubbing against the soft skin of Carolina's neck as her eyes are poked at by armor.

"Damn, you really are serious about this."

"Dead. Serious." Carolina rests her forehead against Vanessa's as soon as she could.

A pain shoots through her chest as she thinks about how close she had just come to dying. Her merriment vanishes as she realizes who it was standing before her. "Don't say that Carolina. You have a bad habit of almost dying."

"Good point. Tell me Vanessa have you ever held a yoga pose for twelve hours?"

"Last time you asked you made it sixteen.”

"You're answer was no last time if I remember correctly. Eventually, we'll get to the right number."

Vanessa laughs and pushes her head against Carolina's again. "That number is zero." She pushes her lips against Carolina's just as a light laugh had been escaping them. It makes her lips bounce a little until Vanessa wraps her arms around the back of Carolina's neck. With little effort she pushes her body into hers, deepening the kiss.

Carolina was the one to break it up after she rests her hand on the small of Vanessa's back. "So about getting out of here."

"You close the windows and I'll put the liquor up. We can head back to my place and have a movie night after."

"Of course madam president."

"Shut up." Vanessa orders as she playfully pushes Carolina off of her.


End file.
